Somerset: WNY leaders fight to protect power plant

by jmaloni

Press release

Thu, May 2nd 2013 06:05 pm

U.S. Rep. Chris Collins calls for actions protecting workers at the Somerset power plant operated by Upstate New York Power Producers Inc., as, from left, Sen. George D. Maziarz, IBEW Local 966 President Mike Lutz, Barker Central School District Superintendent Dr. Roger Klatt, and Assemblywoman Jane L. Corwin look on.

Viewing 1 of 2

Urge Canada-New York City
electric deal be blocked

by Christian W. Peck

Public
Information Officer

Niagara
County Public Information Office

Fresh
off the stunning approval of a cut-rate electricity deal between a Canadian
government-run power monopoly and New York City by the New York State Public
Service Commission, local leaders rallied Thursday, calling for the deal to be
blocked before local jobs are lost.

On
hand at the Upstate New York Power Producers Inc. power plant in Somerset to
oppose the Canada-New York City power deal were local representatives from
every level of government as well as the local Barker Central School District
and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The upstate plant was
formerly operated by AES Somerset, which declared bankruptcy late last year
amid marketplace difficulties brought on, in part, by the importation of
government-subsidized power from Canada, as well as ever more costly
"greenhouse gas" restrictions.

The
New York City deal, blessed by the PSC two weeks ago, would allow Hydro-Québec,
a super-monopoly run by the government of the Canadian province of Quebec, to
sell its Canadian taxpayer-subsidized surplus electricity to New York City -
and would include construction of a 1,000-megawatt power line from Quebec to
New York City designed to bypass upstate New York power suppliers.

The
transmission line, dubbed the "Champlain Hudson Power Express," would run under
water all the way from the Quebec border to the Consolidated Edison plant in
New York City, passing under Lake Champlain and then along the bottom of the
Hudson River - bypassing the aging transmission lines that carry the
electricity produced by upstate New York-based power companies.

Local
leaders pulled no punches as they criticized the PSC and even some local
elected officials for supporting the deal, which puts local jobs - and the
largest taxpayer in Niagara County - in jeopardy.

"I have been sounding the alarm about the negative
impacts of the proposed Champlain-Hudson Power Express for several years, using
every means at my disposal to derail this ill-conceived project," said State Sen. George D. Maziarz, R-Newfane.
"One of the critical elements that had been missing in our fight to protect
jobs and unplug this extension cord from Canada was support from our federal
officials. Many members of the Congressional delegation in our state issued
letters of support for this ill-conceived project, even after I sent them two
letters and substantial documentation about its negative impacts. Congressman
Collins is the first federal official that I am aware of to stand up for
Western New York on this important issue, and I commend him for joining the
fight."

Maziarz is chairman of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications
Committee.

"Gov. Cuomo has
consistently expressed his desire to invest our state through public/private
partnerships, and the New York Energy Highway is an opportunity to put those
words into practice," said Assemblywoman
Jane L. Corwin, R-Clarence. "This is an opportunity to mutually
benefit the entire state by investing in New York's electrical infrastructure,
and getting much-needed power to the downstate regions. Upstate and Western New
York power producers now need Gov. Cuomo to put his 'money where his mouth is,'
and invest in New York power, save and create thousands of New York jobs, strengthen
the New York economy, and, as my colleagues in government have stated, 'pull
the plug' on the Champlain Hudson Power Express."

"The New York State Public Service Commission just
decided it was fair to make small, privately held power plants like the
Somerset Power Generating Station compete against the entire Province of
Quebec's power grid," said Niagara
County Legislator John Syracuse, R-Newfane. "If this was an athletic
competition, I'd say the fix was in. But this isn't an athletic competition. This
is life - this is people's livelihoods on the line. This is the lives of every
one of the men and women you see before you. The men and women in hardhats. The
men and women in the front office. The workers in suit coats - and the workers
in Carhartt jackets. Those men and women are fighting for their jobs. They're
fighting for their families. They're fighting for their homes and their kids'
futures."

"We're becoming all too familiar with these ill-conceived,
shortsighted initiatives that import power from outside the borders of our state
at the expense of upstate New York," said Supervisor Dan Engert, R-Somerset. "The CHPE project, on its face,
is absolutely unnecessary since the unveiling of the governor's Energy Highway
Blueprint, which will upgrade the transmission system for all sources of power
generation - not just the Western New York coal fleet, but also for the
renewable sources who are trying to come online and be competitive. Our focus
as elected officials needs to be centered on jobs for our region. It was
extremely discouraging to me when an official from the City of Niagara Falls
seemed to promote the closing (of) specific power generators, like this clean
coal facility in Somerset, putting hundreds of hardworking men and women out of
work. I would urge him to consider ways to work collaboratively within our
region by advocating for opportunities to include the coal facilities along with
the good jobs they provide ... which benefits our entire region and is critical
for business growth and expansion."